


Skating skates, not hockey skates

by allthingspieandhockey (SunMonTue)



Series: Skating Skates AU [1]
Category: Check Please! (Webcomic)
Genre: Jack's little sister Annelise, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-23
Updated: 2020-05-14
Packaged: 2021-03-01 01:46:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 18,348
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23277325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SunMonTue/pseuds/allthingspieandhockey
Summary: An AU where Bitty never goes to Samwell and Alicia and Bob end up having another kid (long story short, Alicia thought it was menopause, it wasn’t, it was Jack’s little sister). Jack dotes on her, and she totally has him wrapped around her little 5-year-old finger. She wants skating lessons, and of course when Jack offers she rolls her eyes and scoffs.“No, I want proper skating lessons. I don’t want to play hockey.”(This is a longer version of the ficlet I posted on my tumblr several years ago)
Relationships: Eric "Bitty" Bittle/Jack Zimmermann, Jack Zimmermann & Samwell Men's Hockey Team
Series: Skating Skates AU [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1745719
Comments: 97
Kudos: 365





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> This is pretty General and family friendly up until the last chapter or two...  
> And I don't own Check Please.

**PROLOGUE**

Jack doesn’t get to spend a lot of time at home. In between studying at Samwell and training camps in the summer he hasn’t spent a lot of time at home in a long time. This summer though he has two weeks of… _nothing_. Just relaxing. Reading whatever he wants, watching whatever he wants. While maintaining his training schedule and diet of course. He’s not lived at home for the longest time now so there is always a few days of adjustment, when he feels like a guest, but he still appreciates how his parents make sure he has his own bedroom.

His bedroom that his dad has just walked into and closed the door behind him, eyes a little wild. Jack sits up, the book he’s been reading about the D-Day landings carefully placed on his bedside table with a bookmark.

“Papa, what’s wrong?”

“Jack, how are you?”

Jack notices his father’s complete avoidance of the question and narrows his eyes.

“I’m fine. You however… you’re acting like you’re scared of something. What is it?”

“Ah. Well. Hmm. Your mother is… in a little bit of a mood with me?”

“What did you do now?”

“Why do you always assume it is my fault!”

“Because it’s always been your fault?”

He hears his dad mutter something about there always being a first time, but then he’s letting out a long sigh and honestly looks more worried than anything else.

“I just, gave her a hug and told her she was beautiful.”

Jack blinks.

“Was that all?”

His father nods and Jack purses his lips, because okay… that doesn’t sound normal.

“You haven’t forgotten a date or anything. Like your anniversary?”

“No… at least I don’t think so. You know my memory isn’t as good as it was. But I really don’t think so.”

“No,” Jack agrees, because multiple head concussions do mean his dad’s memory isn’t the best, but they all cope. “You’re right, it’s next week. Is mama okay?”

“She… got angry with me and slapped my hand away. I… I really don’t know what is wrong. I tried asking but that made it worse. She asked me to leave so, I came up here.”

“You want me to go and see if she’s okay?”

“Would you?” The relief on his father’s face has Jack nodding, even though he doubts his ability to find out, when his parents relationship has often made him feel redundant. He goes downstairs and heads for the kitchen; there is a bay-window seat in the dining room. It catches the morning light and is his mom’s favourite place to sit in the mornings. Sure enough she’s sitting, curled up and mug of coffee clasped in her hands. Jack approaches her carefully. He’s not as likely to get his head bitten off, but it has been known to happen. Finding her crying makes Jack freeze. He can count on one hand the number of times he’s seen his mother cry.

“Mama? What’s wrong?”

“Just… feeling old darling.” She wipes at her eyes.

“Oh,” Jack replies, because there is really nothing he can say to that. His mother is in her early-50s and he supposes having her twenty-four year old son hanging around probably doesn’t exactly help her feel youthful. “Do you want me to leave?” Jack asks hesitantly.

“What? No! Of course not! Jack darling! This is… just me being…” she lets out a long breath and shakes herself, tossing her hair back in a gesture Jack recognizes for steeling herself before just getting on and doing things. “I’m just, my period is late, and I’m just getting used to the idea that I am facing…” she smiles sadly and something twists unpleasantly in Jack’s stomach whenever he thinks of his parents not being around. She stands and takes a long drink from her mug.

“You’re only young yet mama. Are you sure that you’re not pregnant?” Jack asks, trying to lighten the mood a little although, as always, feeling awkward; like he’s miss-stepping with social cues. His mother laughs a little though, shakes her head and cups his face in her free hand before patting his cheek and letting her hand fall back to her side.

“I… _Jack_. We struggled to conceive you.”

“Oh. I… didn’t know.”

“Well, it’s not something we usually discuss. But at the time the doctors believed that my strict diet may have played a part, and we were finally lucky enough to have you. Your father and I… _well_ ,” her eyes flick to the ceiling, then to the side, clearly avoiding him and Jack starts backing away, because vaguely talking about his mother’s approaching menopause is one thing. Talking about his parents’ sex life is a whole other ball game.

“I don’t need to know anymore. If you say you’re not pregnant, then I’m just going to take that as the truth. Cool. I don’t, _really_ don’t need to know about you and dad.”

Her laughter follows him as he retreats back to the safety of his bedroom and the short conversation makes him glad he’s home, even if it’s forced him to overthink his parents’ relationship. Much later, after they’ve had dinner and Jack has changed for bed a soft knock makes him look toward his bedroom door as it is slowly pushed open. Both his parents are there this time, and his mother is crying _again_ and his dad looks _terrified_ and his mother is holding a little white stick in her hand.

“So, it turns out we _are_ pregnant.”

* * *

Seven months later Jack is holding his baby sister in his arms he can’t help the tears that drip down his nose. Her face is all scrunched up, one eye socket bruised from being squeezed a little too hard, and she’s the most gorgeous thing Jack has ever seen.

“Annelise Jaqueline Zimmermann,” his dad says and Jack smiles wider, sniffs a little.

“AJ,” Shitty says, his voice hoarse after all the excited shouting he’d done for most of the six hour drive they’d made from Samwell to Montreal.

“A hockey nickname? Already?” Jack says, huffing a bemused laugh.

His dad and Shitty both just laugh and hug him while he’s holding Annelise.


	2. THE FIRST FIVE YEARS – 2015-2020

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> THE FIRST FIVE YEARS – 2015-2020

**THE FIRST FIVE YEARS – 2015-2020**

Jack initially struggles with the decision about where to sign but then finally decides on Providence because it’s close to Montreal, not close enough for either of his parents to just _drop in_ unexpectedly, but close enough that visiting is actually possible. Also he doesn’t have to live with the shadow of his father’s legacy as the Falconers have no ties to his dad at all with being a relatively new team.

Annelise is four months old at his graduation, holding her head up by herself and quite interested in the goings-on around her. She goes happily to each member of the hockey team, pats Shitty’s mustache and seems confused at his lack of flow. She gets called AJ by nearly everyone, although his parents call her Annie. Jack seems to be the only one that calls her Annelise. The first time she rolls over is that day on the grass near the well and Jack photographs the whole thing. For him his graduation isn’t as important as seeing the surprised look on her face at her own achievement.

When Jack moves to Providence he makes sure he buys a four-bedroom apartment. A room for himself, two guest rooms, and a room specifically for Annelise. He lets Lardo decorate and ends up with two full murals and he realizes he’s _never_ going to be able to sell his apartment now. His parents joke that with the amount of spoiling he does of Annelise it makes sense that she has a room of her own. Jack argues and says that it makes sense and that they don’t have to pack as much when they come visit. Jack researches the safety rating of car seats and gets the best one installed in his car, despite the fact that it will hardly get used.

When Annelise turns one Jack is playing a game on the road and he _hates_ that he’s missing it. His parents reassure him that she won’t remember, but _Jack_ will. So he arranges to give her a party when she turns 18 months, in summer, when he’s not in the middle of hockey and any chances of playoffs are well and truly past. It becomes a thing, for her half-birthday to be spent in Providence with him.

It also becomes a sort of Samwell reunion, as Jack invites everyone from the team to catch up in the first weekend of July. Sometimes it’s close to Canada Day or Independence Day, and as he gets to know the Falconers better, he invites them too. Annelise loves being the centre of attention and Jack loves that she loves it. He finds having her around makes it easy for conversation to flow. People ask questions about _her_ rather than him, innocuous questions like what she’s eating or if she’s sleeping well.

Her first time on the ice (actually skating and not just being held) is surrounded by the Falconers and all their kids on one of the family days. Jack and his dad each hold one of Annelise’s hands as they slowly skate, Alicia filming it all. She’s soon skating by herself, although when she tries to hit another kid over the head with a hockey stick they quickly decide that maybe she’s a little young for hockey.

As she gets older his parents leave her with him, although the first couple of years they only go as far as a nearby hotel despite Jack having guest rooms. Jack tries to not think about why his parents want a hotel but after a few nights of constantly being woken he realizes that all they probably want is uninterrupted sleep. A couple of nights he falls asleep on the ground beside her bed just to ensure she felt safe.

In 2018 Jack is asked to represent Canada as a member of the hockey team at the Pyeongchang Winter Olympics and his parents and Annelise travel to watch and support him. He’s a nervous wreck, has a mild panic attack upon arriving but rings his therapist and works his way through it. The team takes a while to become cohesive, but they get there, and when they stand on the podium, Olympic medals hanging around their necks, he feels so happy.

The same year the Falconers make it to the Stanley Cup final and Annelise is three and his parents bring her down to watch the Falconers in the playoffs. She doesn’t seem to have much interest in hockey, and Jack has to keep reminding himself it’s just a game, that she might never be interested. He understands his dad a little better now, knows that his dad just wants him to be happy, as trite as it might sound. He watches his dad with his sister and knows his dad must have been like that with him, although probably with less time due to hockey. He’s glad that Annelise gets to spend so much time with their dad. They don’t win the Stanley Cup that year.

Christmas of that year is awesome, Annelise old enough to really _understand_ presents and Jack is scolded quietly by his parents for spoiling her. _Again_. He doesn’t care, says he’s making up for the lack of all the grandparents who would _also_ be spoiling her. His dad says he raises a valid point and Jack feels smug for the rest of the holidays.

Jack had never thought about kids before, but the older Annelise gets, the more her personality develops and she’s bossy (“leadership qualities!” Shitty asserts), single minded in a way that reminds Jack of himself. He starts having conversations with her, even if he doesn’t understand what she is talking about half of the time. Skype becomes a natural part of his day, squeezed in so he can greet her in the morning, around lunch and again in the evening. He knows his mom is loving that he wants to have a close relationship with his sister, that their own relationship is becoming closer because of it. 

When the press ask about any possible relationships he says he doesn’t have time. That the only girl in his life is his little sister. It’s honest; he really doesn’t have the time or energy to put into anything other than hockey and his family. Of course it results in some ridiculous speculation and Jack just rolls his eyes at the headlines he sees on some articles, particularly _Is Annelise Zimmermann actually Jack Zimmermann’s love child?_

March of 2019 he finds himself watching the World Figure Skating Championships with Annelise, listening intently as she acts as commentator, making up names for all the moves with no accuracy or consistency at all. He quirks an eyebrow at his parents and they both grin, leaving him so they can go out to a charity event, which for once he doesn’t have to attend as well. He finds Annelise is content to watch figure skating for quite a while before she gets bored, so Jack lets himself enjoy the relative peace and quiet.

The Falconers do win the Stanley Cup in 2019 and the entire summer following feels like an endless celebration. He hosts a party for Annelise’s fourth-and-a-half birthday, and she proudly walks around informing everyone that she is four-and-a- _half_ like it makes a huge difference. He guesses it does for her. He has his cup day and takes it to Samwell, despite never playing with any of the current team. A lot of previous hockey alumni manage to make it though and they manage a shinny against the new (and much younger) team.

His 29th birthday is documented with photos of him wearing a brightly colored hat and blowing out candles on his cake, because according to Annelise it’s not a birthday without hats and cake. He starts his sixth season with the Falconers and feels a definite sense of family when he starts training camp. Everyone asks after his parents and Annelise and if she’s enjoying kindergarten and Jack feels at home.


	3. 2020 - Part 1

**CHAPTER ONE – 2020 Part 1**

Annelise’s fifth birthday happens to fall on a Sunday and Jack has a home game the day before. He really wants to actually make this birthday and the party his mom has organized. He’s so grateful that his dad arranges to come down and drive him back to Montreal after the game. He skips through the press as fast as he can, making his excuses about having to hit the road, and the exhaustion hits him once he collapses into the passenger seat of the car.

With Annelise in kindergarten his parents just can’t come and visit as easily as before. Jack knows it’s only going to get worse as she gets older with afterschool activities and sleepovers with friends in the weekends. He wonders if this is what his parents felt like when he went off, to live with a billet family, that everything was suddenly going too fast and a feeling of _they’re just not old enough yet_. Although he knows telling Annelise that would be just as effective as if he could somehow go back and tell his teenage-self. Neither of them will listen.

His father wakes him when they get to Montreal, because of course he can sleep anywhere now; years of roadies and strange hotel rooms coupled with his exhaustion and the knowledge that he’s likely going to have to make the drive back tomorrow because for some reason his dad flew down, which arguably takes just as long as driving. He lets his dad guide him to his room, changes into his pyjamas and he falls back to sleep easily.

Of course he’s woken less than four hours later, Annelise bouncing on his bed and chattering excitedly in half-French-half-English, informing him that it’s her birthday, as if he were somehow unaware of that fact despite her telling him multiple times a day for the last two weeks. He’s really going to need coffee but he can’t help but feel an upwelling of happiness that he’s here. That she’s so excited to see him and share her birthday with him. Kids get excited over the simplest stuff and Jack is learning to take pleasure in those things again.

They have breakfast together as a family and Jack takes a few photos, wants to document everything. His mom has gone all out, not only with breakfast (he is definitely not telling the team dietician about this), and he doesn’t remember ever having professional decorators for _his_ childhood birthdays. He probably would have hated it, which maybe is the reason he never had them. Fortunately Annelise seems to bask in the attention and she is only going to turn five once.

Jack takes on the role of photographer, which gives him a good excuse to leave conversations when they start to get awkward and also means a lot of people just greet him and then leave him to it. There are about seven other children, all from her kindergarten class, and an accompanying parent. There is someone making balloon objects (he’s seen a crown, a sword and a dog so far) and someone else doing face painting.

Annelise asks him to get his face painted, and because he can’t say no to her, something he knows he needs to learn how to do sooner rather than later, he ends up with his face covered in spots, looking something like a cheetah according to the woman painting him. He starts a trend among the other adults and everyone ends up with their face painted, much to the delight of all the children.

Of course that’s when the doorbell chimes and when he goes to answer it he finds Shitty on the other side, along with Lardo, Ransom and Holster.

“Dude! Face painting! Hook me up!”

“Where’s the birthday girl?”

“Oh man, there are balloons!”

Jack just blinks as his friends walk past him; he had no idea that they were coming, and they all seem equally excited about, well, everything. Annelise has run at Shitty screaming _Uncle Knight Knight!_ Jack wasn’t going to let his kid sister walk around saying Uncle Shitty, so he and Shits had compromised on the now in-joke, which had started with Annelise saying ‘ _night night Uncle Knight Knight_ ’ when she was just over two years old and learning everyone’s names.

His friends have arrived just in time for the cake to be cut and presents to be opened, like this was somehow _planned_ and a quick look to his mom and dad confirm his suspicions. They’re smiling at him and he smiles back, nods his head slightly in thanks, because his days off are rare, and while he was more than happy to spend it with just his family, to have his _other_ family here is an added bonus. He totally expects that his dad probably bought plane tickets for them all.

The rest of the party goes past in a blur of too much sugar and then excess wrapping paper. The other kids leave and Annelise is over stimulated, eyes wide and body unable to keep still. When his mother suggests to her that she go and try and have a nap though _she agrees_ and Jack just feels confused, because she never willingly goes down for a nap. It does allow them to tidy up, and his friends eat cake, drink coffee and catch up.

It’s only ninety minutes later when his dad reveals that they have dinner reservations for that evening and Jack wonders if he can get out of it, say he wants to head back to Providence early, except it turns out the invitation is also for all his friends from Samwell, so Jack just accepts that he’s going to have a late night. When he mentions it everyone suggests that maybe they should all have a nap.

Somehow Shitty and Lardo go to his room instead of one of the guest rooms and are asleep in his bed when he goes up to get one of his favorite books ten minutes later. Despite his tiredness sleep eludes him, so he curls up in the study and reads quietly, lets himself have quiet time in preparation for what will likely end up being a busy night. Half an hour later Annelise finds him and curls up beside him, asks him to read to her so he starts reading out loud about the history of Canada.

His parents turn up about thirty minutes later, both of them looking a little worried but instantly relaxing when they see Annelise with him. They leave him to go and make coffee, and he agrees to a cup just to stop yawning. They’ve apparently got reservations at Stash Café, and he’s glad it’s somewhere casual and kid-friendly, and not only because of Annelise. Shitty appears looking half-asleep, pours himself a cup and Jack’s shaking his head.

“You can’t wear that to dinner.”

“Why not?” Shitty asks, grinning and doing a twirl.

“Just be glad he _is_ dressed,” Lardo mutters, joining them and Jack snorts. A hockey jersey is _not_ acceptable dinner wear, although it may have had to do with the way they usually smell rather than the look Jack realizes.

“Does that say our name?” Annelise asks, pointing to the back of the sweater.

“Uh, yeah, it sure does. Zimmermann. It’s our last name,” Jack says.

“Cinnamon.”

His mom and dad laugh quietly and Jack smiles, because it’s cute, she can’t make all the sounds yet.

“Zzzimmm-er-mann,” Jack says, slowly, enunciating each sound more clearly.

“Cccimmmernan,” Annelise repeats back and it’s a little closer, but still definitely _not_ Zimmermann. He shrugs, because it’s not like she needs to know how to say it. He kind of likes that she says it like that; Cinnamon.

“You know Jack, when you were learning to say your last name darling it always sounded like synonym. You went around introducing yourself as Jack Synonym for quite a while. My only regret is never capturing it on film,” his mom says and Jack smiles.

“Oh man! I wish we’d known that, I’m sure we could have come up with a rockin’ nickname…”

“Zamboni works fine with the Falcs, I don’t need other nicknames,” Jack says, laughing softly.

“You’re the tallest Cinnamon…” Annelise declares, arms up in the universal gesture meaning she want him to pick her up.

“I sure am,” Jack replies, smirking at his father. “And you,” he says, bopping her gently on the nose with his index finger, “are the _littlest_ cinnamon.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the reviews! It's really nice to get them as it's been around 4 years since I've written fanfiction...  
> (So I have a Zimmerman hoodie, and my kids couldn't read/pronounce Zimmerman... so it's sort of what prompted the original ficlet.)  
> Obviously hoping to post 2-3 chapters a week, keeping them short and frequent. Likely be about 10-12 chapters all up including the prologue and epilogue.  
> Also, if you're new to my writing, please accept my apologies for spelling - I live in New Zealand and use British spelling, however I do try and use American spelling when writing fanfic.


	4. 2020 - Part 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This was an AU when I posted it as a ficlet 4 years ago and I’m totally ignoring what is going on in the real world right now and it doesn’t exist in this world.  
> Probably 7 chapters.  
> If you’re bored and on Tumblr I am sunmontuewrites there, but if it is only Check Please you’re interested in I have allthingspieandhockey there as well…

**CHAPTER TWO – 2020 Part 2**

A few weeks later on Zoom he’s watching Annelise bounce around, unable to stay in the shot and he wishes he could just bottle up her seemingless infinite energy.

“It was _beautiful_! They just jump in the air and the sparkly clothes, and they’re so _fast_!”

He knows she talking about the figure skating World Championships and he grins, her enthusiasm infectious. It’s being held in Montreal so of course his parents had bowed to pressure and taken her along to watch as much as possible.

“Can you watch it with me when you come visit?”

“Aw, it’ll all be over the next time I see you little cinnamon.”

“No! I mean we can watch it on YouTube! On the iPad!”

He’s absolutely certain he had no idea what an iPad even was when he was five, and he wonders then when iPads were first produced and then Annelise is saying his name and he’s snapped back to her explaining that she wants skating lessons.

“You already know how to skate…” Jack says, because of course she does. She was on the ice as early as he was as a baby, and she’s confident in a way that sometimes only kids can be.

“Pfft,” Annelise says, and Jack almost hurts himself holding in the laughter at her suddenly condescending expression that is so 100% their mother it is uncanny. It’s the look both his father and know means they’ve just said something ridiculously stupid.

“I want _proper_ skating lessons. Papa already offered to teach me, but I don’t want to play _hockey_ ,” she states, and the derision in her voice as she says hockey makes Jack’s eyes water with amusement, although he can tell he’s still looking serious due to the little screen mirroring his image.

“Okay. So proper skating lessons huh? Well, I’ll see what I can do for you then,” Jack says, and he’s not really joking, because he would do anything for her, and between him and his dad they can probably organize some pretty good lessons.

Another few weeks pass, and he’s holding out for the run of away games to finish so he can see his parents and Annelise in person. They’re coming down for a long weekend and he can’t wait to see them, because while the daily talks are good, they don’t make up for exuberant arms thrown around his neck, or the firm clasp of his dad’s hug, or his mother’s warm hand on his cheek…

He ends up watching what feels like the entirety of the World Figure Skating Championships, Annelise curled up into his side and commentating word-for-word. That’s what his parents assure him is happening anyway, because apparently this is something she watches every day now, all her favorites. She also has weekly figure skating lessons now and Jack takes her to the rink so she can show him her jumps and twirls and he knows he’s totally biased but he thinks she’s the best five year old figure skater he’s ever seen, and he’s seen a few at the rink, as well as the kids of the other players.

He doesn’t want them to leave after the three days, but them promise to be back as soon as possible and he returns to the routine of training, practices, roadies and workouts. There’s been some movement in the team, injuries and a retirement, which makes everything feel not as smooth as it did this time last year, but he also knows that while this year might not be theirs they’re definitely not a team to underestimate.

He’s not surprised when they don’t make it through to the playoffs, however they only just miss out and when he goes around the other players and says _we’ll get them next year_ he really means it. He decamps to his parents for a couple of weeks, enjoys the different routine of taking Annelise to school, picking her up every day and deliberately ignoring the flirtatious looks her teacher gives him. He wonders about coming out publically, because it’s an open secret in the team, but also not one they’ve ever really had to face because he’s not exactly dated, despite the best efforts of some of his team members.

He goes back to Providence to catch up with some of the team and watch the playoff games. They all seem better rested having had a little break, and he knows he will be back in Montreal for a few weeks in summer, and this summer Annelise is coming to spend an entire week with him, without his parents, and he can’t wait. They’ve been planning it together since her birthday.

“You have half-party for little Lise this summer?” Alexei asks, forcing himself between Jack and Thirdy at the bar leaner with the same grace of a snow plow.

“Uh…” he hadn’t really planned on it, because he’d actually managed to be there for her birthday this year, and she’s got the week with him, but he guesses she may very well expect it now. He should really talk to his parents about ensuring she doesn’t grow up spoiled, because he needs someone to put brakes on him.

“Uh yeah, I hadn’t really thought about it…”

“Good! I the best Uncle! Better than the Shitty one!” Alexei declares and Jack snorts, because only Alexei can make Shitty’s name actually sound like an insult and a name at the same time.

“You can’t spoil her too much –”

“You are… what you call it? Hypocrite?”

“Who taught you that word?”

“I right! Is the right word! You hypocrite. I stop spoiling her when you do. Deal?”

Jack laughs but doesn’t agree, she’d his little sister after all.

“What are you planning Tater?”

“Ah ah – you big nose. Is secret! Big surprise!”

Jack just laughs.


	5. 2020 - Part 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This was an AU when I posted it as a ficlet 4 years ago and I’m totally ignoring what is going on in the real world right now and it doesn’t exist in this world. If you’re bored and on Tumblr I am sunmontuewrites there.
> 
> If it is only Check Please you’re interested in I have allthingspieandhockey and also checkpleaseandlegofusion there as well… (yes, I have two different check please side blogs because one is not enough to contain my love).

**CHAPTER THREE – 2020 Part 3**

Jack kind of forgets about it until he’s picking Annelise up for the flight back to Providence, and his mom tells him that he has to keep his Tuesday free because Alexei has planned something.

“What’s he got planned?”

“Oh, it’s meant to be a surprise sweetheart.”

“ _What_? Why?” Jack asks, confused. Because it’s not _that_ surprising.

“I stopped questioning Alexie’s actions years ago darling, but I do know that you will both really enjoy it.”

“He’s just organized a special coaching session or something right? A figure skating one for Annelise.”

“Something like that, but he assures me you’ll enjoy it as well.”

“I’m not going to try figure skating,” Jack mutters under his breath; but not too loudly just in case Annelise hears him and he finds himself at the receiving end of a beseeching look that he has yet to learn how to resist. “Why has he gone to you to organize this anyway?” Jack asks, double checking he has everything essential of Annelise’s, because there are some things money cannot buy, and her figure skating Barbie collection is one of them.

“Oh, it was a bit of a quid pro quo arrangement,” his mom says, and Jack is now certain she’s hiding something, because quid pro quo requires some form of negotiation.

He leaves without knowing, his parents dropping them off at the airport, and Jack isn’t sure who is more excited for the upcoming week, Annelise or his parents. Apparently they have _plans_ , and he’d not wanted details, the fact he has a little sister twenty-four years his junior enough evidence that they have sex. He grimaces at the reminder and settles himself into his seat and pulls out Annelise’s coloring books for the flight.

“You have a beautiful daughter,” the hostess says, and Jack just smiles, because if she doesn’t recognize him he’s not going to waste his time correcting her.

“He’s my big brother! I’m clever and strong too! Papa tells me all the time.”

Jack has to hold in a laugh, because he knows both his parents are insistent on ensuring Annelise doesn’t feel her value is based on her appearance. She looks nothing like he did as a child though, luckily for her, and he knows his mom has refused multiple offers of modelling on Annelise’s behalf. He’s glad, because he wants her to keep this confident and precocious personality, wants to foster it and make her smash any obstacles life puts in her way.

“I am sure you are! I can see how much care you are taking with your coloring, lots of attention to detail there. You let me know if you need anything during the flight, okay?”

“Sure,” Jack says, and the smile she gives him is a little flirtatious and Jack groans inwardly, smile going a little tight and he wonders if maybe he should start passing of Annelise as his daughter just so people think he’s got someone at home. He’d have to convince her first and it would be pretty hard to make her think lying would somehow be okay after years of teaching her otherwise. The rest of the flight is uneventful though, and he gets them back to his apartment easily.

He’s organized a meal service for the week, one his nutritionist probably wouldn’t necessarily approve of, but he needed something that he could cook for both of them, and he knows it is still relatively healthy. Annelise is fortunately a garbage disposal when it comes to food, happy to eat anything that is put in front of her, although her love of broccoli sometimes makes him wonder if all kids are weird, or she’s just been exposed to an unnatural amount of vegetables growing up.

It’s Saturday evening and his parents are arriving next Sunday to take Annelise back home, so he has a full week. He’d originally been a little worried that he’d have to fill in the time somehow, but Thirdy and Marty’s wives had jumped forward with ideas, as well as offering to keep an eye on her while he’s in training. Also his mum has reminded him that she’s also quite happy to sit quietly and play by herself. He just a little nervous having never been responsible for her for more than a weekend before.

He wakes on Sunday to her bouncing on his bed, a Barbie clutched in each hand, asking if he can make her pancakes like their mom and he has to shake his head, because he never mastered pancakes. Scrambled eggs he can manage, but as it’s her first morning he asks if she wants to go out for breakfast, which she immediately agrees to. He’s already got a list of recommendations and he knows the Providence Children’s Museum opens at 9, so that’s their morning sorted.

They’re almost finished breakfast when his phone rings for the second time, the first had been their parents wanting to Facetime, and Annelise had dutifully showed them her pile of pancakes and fruit while talking about anything and everything, the subject changing so swiftly Jack feels unable to keep up.

“Hey Tater.”

“Where you are? I knock and no answer. I want to see little Lise…”

“Is that Uncle Lexi?!”

Jack sighs and passes the phone over, laughing a little because he knows he’s now been relegated to second best. He hears Annelise saying that they’re out for breakfast and he knows he’s about to get a gate crasher, although last time Tater and Annelise played Tater was a horse and gave her rides for about an hour, something his knees didn’t thank him for later and their trainers weren’t impressed either. Tater apparently had no regrets though.

“He wants to know where we are,” Annelise says and Jack holds his hand out for his phone. She pouts a little and he frowns but she calls out bye and then Jack is talking to his closest friend on the team, telling him the name of the little café but also that they’re planning on going to the Providence Children’s Museum next.

“I see you there soon!”

They finish up their food and walk the few blocks to the museum, and Jack treasures the little hand in his, listens intently as she talks about how she wants to learn how to make pancakes so she can make them for him, and also the back stories of her Barbies, and then he’s being asked questions he has no idea how to answer, but some fortunately he does, so he starts explaining why there are cracks in the footpath when she stops to pick a dandelion which has bloomed in one of the cracks. She holds it up to him.

“For behind your ear…”

“Ah, thanks…”Jack says, and dutifully tucks the brightly colored weed behind his ear.

“Beautiful!” Annelise says, hands clapping and eyes shining with delight and Jack can't help but laugh.


	6. 2020 - Part 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This was an AU when I posted it as a ficlet 4 years ago and I’m totally ignoring what is going on in the real world right now and it doesn’t exist in this world. If you’re bored and on Tumblr I am sunmontuewrites there.
> 
> If it is only Check Please you’re interested in I can be found on Tumblr at:  
> allthingspieandhockey (fic and general Check Please stuff)  
> checkpleaseandlegofusion (exactly what is says on the label... this blog is only about 10 days old)

**2020 Part 4**

Sunday had been a fantastic success, and that success had buoyed Jack with confidence. Although Tater had refused to join them for dinner, insisting he had somewhere else to be and Jack was suspicious, because he _knows_ everyone that Tater does in Providence. Regardless he starts his morning run on the treadmill – he’d usually go and run outside but he can’t leave Annelise alone. He’s finished and drinking down his protein shake when she walks into the kitchen, nose wrinkling and mouth forming a pout and he winces internally, because neither of those are good signs.

The first thing he does is get food into her, because hopefully that will help, then he Facetimes their parents, angling the tablet so she can see their parents drinking coffee while she eats her cereal. He leaves them talking so he can have a quick shower and when he comes back out she’s in a much better mood and he lets out a sigh of relief. He gets that she probably misses their parents, but he’d sort of hoped she’d last more than a day.

His mom rings him while Annelise is getting dressed and he listens as she explains Annelise missed the morning cuddles in bed. He knows it’s just part of her routine, except he also needs to work out, and doing it while she is asleep had just seemed like the most logical choice. He tells his mom he’ll figure something out for the week, because he will. Always will when it comes to her. He has training at the rink, and fortunately the idea of being allowed to skate has her excited to go. It’s an optional skate for the team, so it won’t be hard out and he’s already cleared with the coaches that she will be with him most of this week, although he’s got multiple offers to look after her when they do need the entire ice.

When they get there she’s back to her normal chatty self and he breathes an internal sigh of relief, because he knows he can’t replace their mom, and he knows she doesn’t expect him to, but he still wants her to have a good time. Tater is waiting for them, having refused the ride to the arena, which again, weird but he guesses he’ll find out one way or another. Tater swoops Annelise into his arms and proceeds to run down the tunnel with her, her arms out stretched and making flying noises. Jack follows at a more sedate pace.

There’s an almost family skate feel to the morning, several of the other players have brought their partners and kids and Annelise is down, grabbing her skates from him and running over to the other kids. He doesn’t ever remember feeling that confident around strangers, even when he was a kid.

“You okay?” Tater asks as Annelise steps out onto the ice, and he isn’t worried about her falling. She’s just as confident on the ice as off it.

“Yeah, she was just… homesick this morning I guess. The novelty of staying with me has worn of already.”

“I talk to her…”

“You don’t need to – she’s fine now.”

“I tell her if she get bored with you she come visit me. I more fun.”

Jack laughs, shaking his head.

“Whatever Tater…”

The skate goes well, and at the end they up having a weird sort of scrimmage game that is utter chaos; half of the kids that are old enough to know rules ignore them anyway, and the other half are so small that they spend most of the impromptu game ensuring they don’t knock them over.

“I see you here tomorrow yes?

“Yes, we’ll be here. Do we really need the entire day?

“Of course! I have big surprise!”

“I know it’s figure skater or something, I’m not that clueless…”

“Oh, is surprise for both Zimmermann children.”

“Tater, I’m older than you.”

“Pfft. Not matter. I like giving my friends surprise. You want whole day. I know this.”

“You mean Annelise will want to skate all day…”

All he gets is a wide grin and he just shakes his head.

“We’re heading to Toys’R’Us, you want to come?”

“Yes! Let me make call first.”

It’s then that Jack realizes that Tater probably has someone staying with him, probably whoever he’s going to be ‘surprising’ Annelise with tomorrow. He chatters away in Russian and Jack smirks, suspicions confirmed.

“A Russian figure skater huh?”

“You think you smart,” Tater says, shaking his head and Jack just laughs.

“Okay, so now I thought we could go and buy you some new dress ups and then go back and watch Frozen,” Jack offers.

“Frozen 2!” Annelise declares, eyes wide.

“There’s a second Frozen movie?”

“Yeah, come out last year. Good film.”

“Oh, okay then…”

Tater comes in Jack’s truck this time, saying he will just leave his own car at the arena, elbowing Jack playfully in the ribs. They look through the dress-up clothes, and he hadn’t intended on buying anything for himself to dress up in, except…

“ _You’re_ Anna…”

“Shouldn’t you be Anna? Your name is pretty much –”

“No! I’m Elsa! I have blonde hair like mama… and I’m your sister, so you have to be Anna!”

Jack has to concede that she has a valid argument, except he’s really not sure he really needs a wig and cape, managing to draw the line at the dress because his argument that he _won’t fit_ doesn’t seem to be much of an excuse. Annelise just pats his cheek sadly and tells him she’ll ask their mama to make him one. Tater is taking photos and sending them to the group chat, and he’s getting chirped by everyone on the team. He apparently makes a beautiful Anna.

“I Sven! Or Olaf?” Tater asks, switching between holding each costume in front of him. The Olaf hat looks absolutely ridiculous and he regrets not being fast enough with his phone to snap a picture. Tater ends up buying both, laughing as he shoves the Olaf hat toward Jack.

“This for you, you magical snowman bought to life…”

Later, watching Frozen 2 with Annelise curled up beside him he has to agree it does feel like a good analogy.


	7. 2020 - Part 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This was an AU when I posted it as a ficlet 4 years ago and I’m totally ignoring what is going on in the real world right now and it doesn’t exist in this world. If you’re bored and on Tumblr I am sunmontuewrites there, but if it is only Check Please you’re interested in I have allthingspieandhockey and also checkpleaseandlegofusion there as well… (yes, I have two different check please side blogs because one is not enough to contain my love).

**CHAPTER THREE – 2020 Part 5**

They haven’t finished breakfast when there’s noise from his entry way and he shouldn’t be surprised, because his apartment is Tater’s second home.

“I bring food!” Tater exclaims, and Jack feels bad as he watches Tater’s face fall when he finds them both sitting with cereal in front of them. “Oh! You already eat…”

“What did you bring Uncle Lexi!?” Annelise asks, eyes wide and she’s pushing the cereal away and Jack holds back a sigh.

“I bring pie!”

“Pie isn’t breakfast food,” Jack says, trying to not sound too grumpy.

“Oh, this not for breakfast. Is for later. This for breakfast!” And then he’s pulling out what look like biscuits, but they look fresh, and Jack would swear he can see steam…

“These best biscuits! Cheese and bacon and even green bits Zimmboni! Healthy!”

“They do smell good… Where did you get them from?”

“Here you go Little Lise! One for you, two for me, and maybe your brother try tiny piece hmm?”

Annelise is giggling as Tater places the biscuits on plates and makes a big show of not giving any to Jack, and he wonders if Tater is avoiding answering the question. He just rolls his eyes and finishes his cereal. He’s already had a shake although he feels a little jittery for not having worked out. He’d forced himself to stay in bed, and sure enough when Annelise had woken she’d snuggled into his side and he just couldn’t bring himself to move until they couldn’t put off food any longer. He reaches out and snatches a piece from Tater’s plate, laughing at his outraged face as he puts his dishes into the dishwasher.

“Not made for you!”

Jack laughs, just grabs a little more despite Tater’s best efforts to ward him off.

“So, what time do we need to be at the rink?”

“Why you think is our rink?”

“Because you left your car there yesterday?” Jack replies dryly, and it’s Tater’s turn to laugh.

“Okay, so we need to be there ten o’clock…”

“I thought you said you didn’t have to skate today,” Annelise says, and Jack can see the stubborn pout starting to form.

“I don’t Little Cinnamon. Your Uncle Tater here though has a surprise for you…”

“You ruin surprise! Was meant to be at rink…”

Jack just snorts and waves a hand, because it really doesn’t matter. Tater does look a little put out so he does his best to apologize with a shrug – he managed to keep it a secret until today, what more could he expect?

“So, Little Lise, you know Marina Orlov…”

Jack watches his little sister’s eye go wide and she’s nodding, silent.

“She my… cousin. No. Friend. Friend of cousin. Best friend.”

“You _know her_?”

“I do. And she say she want to meet my Little Lise and skate with her.”

“Oh my gosh! Oh my gosh! Can we go now? Jack? Uncle Lexi? Can we go now? Please? _Please_?”

Jack sighs, realizing his mistake. It’s only just gone 8am, they have two hours. How is it that Tater knew to keep this a secret until right before? _How?_ He groans and now the look he gives Tater is more apologetic.

Two hours later, after incessantly reminding her that leaving early wouldn’t make time go any faster they arrive at the rink and it feels odd; the parking lot empty, far more silent than he’s used to without the rest of the team stumbling around even with it being the off-season. Only yesterday they were here practicing and he doesn’t feel like there were so many more dark corners when it’s not in use.

“People know we’re here right?” Jack asks.

“Yeah. They know. I ask special for today.”

Of course that’s when Annelise’s excited squeals make him wonder about the integrity of his ear drums and there are a couple of people walking towards them and they look _vaguely_ familiar, and Annelise is _bouncing_ on her feet, clapping her hands, and the couple are grinning at her, and Jack is feeling all types of awkward, and not only because Annelise has now thrown her arms around both of the new people like they’re long lost relatives.

They’re both dressed in comfortable dark clothes, the woman is obviously Marina Orlov, although Jack only knows that now because he feels like he’s heard nothing but her name for the last two hours and she looks just like she does in the numerous YouTube clips he’s had to re-watch in the last two hours. Dark hair bound in a braid that looks impossible (that he will no doubt be asked to replicate tomorrow); warm dark eyes watching his sister with an equally warm smile. The man beside her is golden blond, his eyes just as warm and his smile is softer and there’s a sprinkling of freckles across his nose.

“Marisha!” Tater exclaims, throwing his arms around the woman.

“Sasha – we saw each other this morning…”

“I know. I just excited too!”

“Marisha, this my friend Jack. Jack, these my friends Marina and Eric.”

“Uh… hi,” Jack says, holding out his hand for them to shake and they’re both looking at him with amusement and he hopes it has to do with the way Annelise is staring at Marina like she’s her favorite Disney princess, arms still clasped around her legs.

“Uncle Lexi you’re the bestest!”

“See, I the best…” Tater says, grinning and waggling his eyebrows and that breaks the tension that had started building in Jack’s shoulders.

Jack is glad for Annelise’s excited babble about how much she _loves_ them and “can you teach me how to jump _really_ high???” Marina and Eric are clearly great with kids, asking her questions and engaging her in conversation before they’re helping her lace her skates and then she’s heading out onto the ice with Marina and Jack is just _standing there_ , feeling completely useless but his sister is _so happy_ that he can’t help but smile while he’s watching. Eric is pulling on his own skates and Jack catches the name _Bittle_ embroidered on the side and feels like an idiot.

“Oh… you’re Eric Bittle…” Jack says, finally recognizing and placing the other man. He’s in the presence of an American gold medalist and openly gay athlete. “Uh, I’m Jack Zimmermann.”

“I know…” Eric says, the small half-smile he gives Jack makes his stomach squirm.

“Oh, uh, yeah. Of course…”

Jack is glad they’re standing in the shadows, it will hopefully hide his embarrassed flush. Because clearly they’ve been staying with Tater and have heard all about _him_. And where the fuck is Tater? He watches as Eric takes to the ice and wonders if he should put his own on, before realizing that he’s the only one _not_ on the ice (and fuck knows where Tater has gone to, the traitor). Annelise is waving at him each time she skates past so he quickly laces up, eyes on the ice because lacing is something he could do blindfolded.

He skates lazily, slowly, watching as his kid sister is taught and shown more basics, with both Eric and Marina working together to show her things. She’s got the same steely determination as him to keep practicing until she gets it right, and just keeps getting up each time she falls or takes a landing badly. Jack can’t help but admire her, although he knows his eyes slide to Eric Bittle every time he takes a jump; knows how much coiled strength is hidden in Bittle’s body, either athlete’s body really, but it’s Eric’s he admires and then has to try and ignore. After his tenth lap he grabs a spare stick and puck for something to do, dribbling it around the edge of the rink while watching the others in the middle.

“She’s got a good sense for the ice,” Eric says from behind him and Jack almost falters on his skates, not expecting the sudden presence.

“Yeah, she’s been skating since she could walk.”

“Before then I imagine,” Bittle says, smiling gently as he looks toward Annelise. If Jack didn’t know better he’d feel like he was being chirped. He frowns, feeling awkward, not sure what to talk about. Apart from the fact that they both use the ice for their respective sports he doesn’t know what they might have in common. He pushes off again, realizing that they’ve come to a standstill. Bittle follows, the efficient movement catching his eye and he hopes he didn’t see him watching.

“Sasha is your best friend isn’t he?”

“Tater? Yeah. He’s the best,” Jack says, and he’s never called Alexei anything other than Alexei or Tater, maybe Mashkov in the early days. Hearing someone else call him Sasha, the nickname he hears Tater’s parents use when they call, or his Russian friends… “Do you speak Russian?”

“Well, it’s _much_ better than my French, which is _awful_ by the way. I can hold a pretty decent conversation. Know what is being said most of the time. All of my coaches have been Russian, and I’ve been to enough training camps where the main language has been Russian that I’d definitely say it’s my second language.”

“Okay. Makes sense I guess. You’re the first person I’ve heard call him Sasha other than his parents or sisters… or Marina as well now I guess,” Jack says, and he can do this, a topic of conversation that isn’t private or threatening in any way.

“Oh, he told me to call him Sasha after a couple of days, and he can be incredibly persistent. And it slips of my tongue easier than Tater so I just gave in.”

“How long have you known him?” Jack asks, because it’s not like he and Tater don’t talk about their other friends, but…

“Oh, I only met him last week, but we’ve been talking for a while. He um, mentioned introducing me to a friend of his.”

“Who?”

“Well, I don’t remember his exact words, but they were something along the lines of his bestest friend and how I might want to ask him on a date…”

Jack feels like every push forward on his skates now takes immense effort and he can’t look, because this isn’t a feeling like a safe conversation anymore and his breath is coming a little shallower. He forces himself to take a few deep breaths, trust in Tater… even if he’s deserted him here.

“I…and do you want to?” He doesn’t add _ask me on a date_ because he can’t, doesn’t even feel real.

“Well, I would like to get to know you better. Tater has talked about you a lot.”

“I’m not out though.”

“I know. I would have seen it if you were. It’s a hurdle… I am very out and just being seen with me…”

“I’m out to my family and the team. I just…”

“Well, would you like to go on a date?”


	8. 2020 - Part 6 & 7

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: This was an AU when I posted it as a ficlet 4 years ago and I’m totally ignoring what is going on in the real world right now and it doesn’t exist in this world.   
> I have deliberately avoided stating whether Jack is bi/gay/demi as I want to leave that totally open to you, the reader, just in case you were wondering.
> 
> Also there’s ‘two’ chapters here because they’re each about 1,000 words and the last chapter was double that and I didn’t want to post short chapters (even 2k is short for usual fics for me so having the earlier chapter be only 1k was weird…)

**CHAPTER SIX – 2020 Part 6**

_Would he like to go on a date?_

That’s a much bigger question than he can feel like he can cope with right now, at least not with some more information. There are reasons why he’s resisted his team member’s efforts to set him up. His free time isn’t plentiful, what little he does have he tries to spend with his family. Also he knows that he’s not really willing to put his energy into anything that isn’t potentially long term, and if Eric isn’t local he knows he could never manage a long-distance relationship on top of his commitment to hockey.

“How long are you in Providence?”

Eric tilts his head and looks a little confused.

“Did Alexei not tell you?”

“Tater didn’t tell me _anything_ ,” Jack says, and yeah, okay, he’s a little annoyed because he doesn’t like surprises. Routine and control are cornerstones for his way of life and this is definitely something he couldn’t prepare for and he forces himself to take a few more slow breaths in through his nose.

“Well, he told me about Jack Zimmermann, his team member and his little sister, and how Marina and I were going to surprise her as a half-birthday present. He also told me about his neighbor and team mate, and how he works out with him because they live in the same building, that he often just hangs out with him and eats meals with him. He also told me about his best friend on the team, who he thought I might like to get to know, maybe ask on a date. He said he couldn’t guarantee anything because the guy is shy and maybe not ready to date…”

“Oh.”

“It wasn’t until just before that I realized that maybe these three people were maybe the _same person_ …”

“Yeah,” Jack swallows, some of his nerves leaching out of him, because Eric Bittle is looking at him with a sweet soft smile and his heart is racing due to something other than panic now because of course Tater didn’t tell Jack about introducing him to someone. He’d have turned it over and over in his head, worried about it, built up expectations and stressed about it. Instead he’d just had to focus on Annelise and now a really gorgeous man is asking him on a date, so…

“So, uh, you didn’t answer my question, about how long you’re in Providence for.”

“Oh honey, I’ve moved here… I’m living with Sasha. Moved in last week, despite my protestations that I could find somewhere of my own he insisted. I mean, I think he has ulterior motives, because he loves my baking –”

“You… made those biscuits he brought this morning.”

“I sure did,” Eric says, and the smile he gives Jack makes him feel like the sun is shining. “Annelise mentioned them, which is what got me thinking that if Jack Zimmermann and his neighbor were the same person, that maybe I should talk to you a little…”

“You asked if he was my best friend…” Jack adds quietly and Eric nods.

“So, I don’t want to pressure you, but I’m answerin’ an awful lot of questions myself…”

“Sorry. I just… it’s a lot to process. I can’t go on a date this week, I’ve got Annelise…”

“Oh sugar, I don’t need an actual calendar date, just knowing that I’m maybe the first person you’ll call when you _do_ want a date would be enough…”

“I don’t have your number.”

“You do know where I live though, I believe you even have a key.” Jack’s face feels like it’s on fire and he doesn’t care that Bittle is laughing at him, because the sound of it makes his insides feel warm and sweet. “Also Sasha has my number,” he adds with a wink playfully and Jack feels his chest swell, because even embarrassed he doesn’t feel awkward, instead feels buoyed by the fact that they’re flirting and talking about dating and it all feels… easy, which it never has before.

“You’ll be the first person I call. I promise.”

“Well, I feel that’s all I can ask,” Eric says, and the way he looks just makes Jack want to kiss him, which makes him flush again, head ducking in embarrassment because he would go now, or tonight, except for the fact Annelise is right there and it’s probably for the best that he’s got a reason to not be totally impulsive.

They start skating again, and Jack goes over the pros and cons in his head. Eric is openly gay and is also a professional athlete. Out of any potential partners another athlete will always understand the demands on his time and the necessary diet restrictions. He has no idea what Eric’s schedule might be, what kind of time he has free for a relationship. And he’s already coming up with potential problems and they haven’t even gone on a date. He recognizes the self-sabotage and sets it to the side mentally.

First things first.

He needs to ring PR.

**CHAPTER SIX (B) – 2020 Part 7**

They organize to release the pre-prepared statement on Friday afternoon, followed by a short press conference for the following week. He chooses the timing deliberately so that Annelise will be on her way back home with his parents when it happens, but they’ll be on their way to him; because despite the statement having been sitting there for nearly three years he’s still packed full of nerves. He tells most of the team in the locker room the day before the statement is to be released. Everyone is supportive, just like they were when he originally told them, it does nothing to lessen his low grade anxiety about the press-conference.

“Jack –” Tater says, grabbing his arm for a quiet word after nearly everyone else has left, and he’s looking sad. “I not want to… make you feel that you must be out.”

“Oh. _No_ ,” Jack says, shaking his head. “Tater, I was thinking about coming out before now, honestly. I think about doing it all the time, the idea of not having to hide or ignore… So, I’m not coming out because of Eric, he’s just the added feather that’s tipped the balance.”

“If you say so…” Tater says, although he doesn’t look convinced. “I come for dinner tomorrow. We stay in and no phone.”

“Okay, sure Tater. You’re a good friend…”

“Am best.”

He takes Annelise out for dinner, tries to enjoy what he knows is likely his last night out without incessant photos and questions for a while. _Fuck_. Maybe coming out just as he’s about to try dating publically was an epically bad idea. He can’t take it back now though and even though it hasn’t happened yet a part of him feels immeasurably lighter.

After he manages a workout where he uses Annelise for a lot of the resistance weight Annelise declares she wants to spend the day doing crafts, which Jack is 100% onboard with; staying inside and away from other people sounds perfect. He pulls out the crate of supplies and they spread it over the table. He’s forced to make their parents cards telling them he misses them and she helps stick stickers and glitter to pretty much everything.

He convinces her to have a nap after lunch, blatantly bribing her with the promise of having a movie night where they build a fort and bed and sleep in the living room. He’ll have to get Tater to help him drag a mattress out, because he can’t actually sleep on cushions or the ground. They’re getting takeout for dinner, because they couldn’t agree on one single thing, Jack unable to agree to just pizza, but being unable to say no to Annelise’s request.

The knock at his door makes him frown, because Tater has a key, and he’s expected and it’s been years since he’s knocked. Annelise is already running to answer so he hurries after, because he’s just assuming that it’s Tater. It’s not. Well, it isn’t just Tater but Eric and Marina with him and his eyes flick between them all, palms suddenly slick.

“Marina!”

“Hello again! How are you!”

“Come see what Jack and me made!”

Jack watches Annelise lead Marina to the table where their craft projects are laid out to dry and Tater clasps his shoulder, looking between him and Eric, before stepping past Jack.

“He want talk to you, I try stop, but also I think maybe good idea…”

“So you didn’t try very hard…”

Tater shrugs, unapologetic and Jack tries to not show his nerves.

“Hi.”

“Hi,” Eric says, his smile is soft but his eyes are shrewd and Jack feels like he’s being assessed.

“You didn’t have to do that. Not for me…”

Jack shakes his head, because okay, he’s already said this to Tater, but maybe Tater is right and Eric needs to hear it as well.

“It’s not for you, it’s been written for years. I’ve thought about coming out for years. My team already knew, this was just…” he shrugs, and sighs. “I just… don’t want to hide. And don’t want you to hide either. And this is pretty much how they were going to manage it, and they always said off season would be ideal and –”

“Okay. I just needed to make sure y’all weren’t doing it just for me. I mean, I’m flattered to maybe be _part_ of the reason,” Eric says, and his lips are twitching like he’s gently chirping him and Jack feels himself flush.

“Eh. You were definitely a factor…” he says quietly, and then Eric’s hand is reaching up to his face and Jack’s heart rate picks up, wondering if he’s about to be kissed. He can’t take his eyes off Eric’s face, takes in the widening pupils, the slowly growing smile and he sways forward so Eric’s hand is cupping his face and then his thumb is swiping and… catching on something and…

“You have glitter on your face…”

“ _Oh…_ ” If he wasn’t blushing already he definitely is now, and he ducks his head.

“You are not allowed to be this adorable Mr Zimmermann.”

“Uh, sorry?”

“Oh my sweet sugar pie…” Eric says under his breath and Jack is really unsure if it’s an endearment or an expletive given the tone which Eric uses and he _really_ wants to just close the inches between their lips.

“Jack! Can Marina stay for the movie?” His heads snaps around to Annelise, standing a few meters away, both Tater and Marina are standing a little behind her, watching with blatantly amused looks on their faces.

“Uh, yeah… of course, if she wants to.”

“We’re going to watch Frozen 2!”

Jack holds back a groan, because he’s seen it at least once a day every day this week and he’s pretty sure he can sing along now.

“I would love to, thank you! Eric, you don’t mind changing our plans do you?”

Jack looks between them, wondering what plans they may have had, because he knows that it’s Marina last night in Providence.

“Of course I don’t mind, I’ll just head back home –”

“No! Stay! For dinner as well. Please… We’re just getting takeout, but you’re both welcome to join us.”

His glances between Eric and Marina, trying to include them both, not wanting to ruin plans _but_ … Eric is biting his bottom lip and Marina says something in Russian which has Tater snorting and Eric blushing.

“Mr Eric can be Kristoff and Marina can be Anna now. Jack, you have to be Sven…”

“I’ve been demoted to a reindeer…” Jack mutters, quietly grateful for his sister having given him a reason to stop staring at Eric’s bottom lip.

“Definitely one of the cuter characters,” Eric says with a mischievous smile and he can’t help his heart skipping a little, but then Tater is putting antlers on his head and now Eric is outright laughing, but his eyes show a lot more than amusement.

“I was just going to go and get some pie. I promise I’ll be right back.”

Later, after they’ve eaten and made a massive bed and fort under strict directives from Annelise, using every single pillow, cushion and blanket in his apartment; he sits beside Eric. They’re not touching, but he reaches out with a hand and just places it halfway between them. When Anna starts singing about things never changing he feels the lightest touch of a single finger and the jolt it sends through him seems disproportionate to the actual touch. He doesn’t want the movie to end. 


	9. 2020 - Part 8, 9 & 10 + Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Author’s note: Last chapter and it’s LONG. Almost as long as the previous 8 chapters put together. Didn’t think any of you will mind. 
> 
> Also this fic is mainly set three years after the comic ends, so Bitty is 25 and Jack is 29, and they’ve taken different paths obviously with this being a whole AU thing. But Jack has just finished his 5th year playing in the NHL.
> 
> ALSO THERE IS ART. I commissioned it from Starkurt because I had to see Jack wearing reindeer antlers with Annelise curled up beside him. So. There you go. It is on my tumblr as well if you want to go and give the artist some love.

****

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

**2020 Part 8**

The group chat blows up of course, and he sends them a quick message simply saying it was time. He doesn’t need all of their nosey beaks poking around, or worse cock-blocking him by turning up on his door; he takes the time to give Shitty a quick call to head that off. He turns his phone back onto silent and ignores it. His parents arrive on Saturday in time for brunch and he’s glad for their presence, keeping him occupied and distracted. While they’re out a few people approach to ask for autographs, usually from both him and his dad, but it’s not as bad as he thought it might be. At least people are still wanting his autograph. He guesses that people probably won’t walk up and say shit to his face, especially when he’s with his family.

They get supplies from the store to make dinner and he tries to not think about how quiet it’s going to be when they all leave tomorrow. Instead he tries to stay present, lets his mom take photos of him and Annelise preparing dinner and posts them on her Instagram. His dad puts the Sven antlers on and chases Annelise around pretending to be a bull despite her screeching that reindeer don’t chase people. His mom takes over the cooking and his dad joins her and he watches them move together with the practice of years.

Dinner is delicious and he wishes his parents lived closer, because it’s definitely a meal that his trainer would approve of, but he can ever seem to make anything taste this good. He remembers the pie and pulls it out, smiles at the memory of Eric’s horrified look when he’d gone to put the fruit pie in the fridge last night. Sacrilege apparently. He serves it up, allowing himself a small sliver, while he gives everyone else decent sized wedges along with the last of the ice-cream in his freezer.

“Mmm, this pie is wonderful! Where did you buy it?”

“Ah, my um… neighbor made it.”

“Mr Eric! He lives with Uncle Lexi!”

Jack scrunches up his face, because of course he can’t be subtle or keep something from his parents when Annelise just blurts stuff out like that. His dad is looking a bit confused, but his mother says something under her breath in French which he doesn’t quite catch and then his expression changes to one of comprehension and Jack would be annoyed if he didn’t also realize they have his best interests at heart. There’s no pressure, none that he hasn’t put on himself already anyway. His mom doesn’t say anything more about the pie but he knows that she might have an idea exactly who Eric is.

He says goodbye to Annelise on Sunday, touched that she cries, arms wrapped tightly around his neck that his heart breaks a little, and he looks at his parents and almost feels like he could burst into tears as well. He doesn’t though, lets his dad hug him and tell him he’s proud of him; no matter how many times he hears him say it he still struggles to believe it. His mom cups his jaw and thanks him for the cards and he hugs her tightly, tells her he will miss her and then he’s alone, watching their hire car drive away to the airport.

Knowing he will likely struggle to sleep if he doesn’t get a proper workout he packs his bag and heads to the rink. It’s off season, they’ve got the loosest of schedules before training camp, and the gym is empty. He puts an audio book on and just starts working out, wanting to distract his mind and tire out his body. Tater joins him after an about an hour and he just reaches out to bump fists as he walks past to the elliptical and he lets himself enjoy the fact that he’s not alone for right now. Of course Tater follows him when he’s done and he wouldn’t put it past Tater to have gone looking for him and known he was here.

“You okay? Quiet yes?”

“Yeah… too quiet.”

“Come eat with us tonight.”

“Yeah, okay.”

Later, when he’s halfway up the stairs to Tater’s his apartment he realizes exactly who the ‘ _us’_ is and his steps falter a little, because he hadn’t forgotten, but he had been preoccupied with other things. He knocks on the door and waits, hopes that Tater answers. He does and Jack follows him through to the kitchen and Eric is cooking, moving his body to the music coming through the speakers; he feels his lips twitch to a smile.

“Thanks for inviting me. Uh… will there be enough?”

“Oh honey, we were already planning on making you a plate. Sasha was pretty insistent. And I’m used to cooking for appetites…” The smile he gives Jack has his stomach swooping pleasantly and he knows logically that it’s just Eric’s upbringing that has endearments tripping off his tongue, but he likes it. A lot.

They eat at the table, the conversation flowing easily. Jack keeps his legs tucked under his chair, glad that Tater and Eric both seem happy to carry the conversation for now. He learns that Eric’s coach has also moved to Providence and it was somehow a joint decision. Eric intends to retire after the next winter Olympics, but that is still two years away and he has to qualify, and both Jack and Tater make scoffing sounds, as if the thought of him not qualifying is ridiculous and Eric looks quietly amused. They talk about hockey, and he finds himself slowly relaxing as he finds Eric knows quite a lot about hockey as well.

“I played non-contact in high-school before I quit to focus just on figure skating. Every moment on the ice possible you know?”

Jack _does_ know, that pull that sometimes aches inside when he hasn’t felt ice under his feet for a few days. He says as much and both Tater and Eric nod, agreeing and he smiles, because he’s never voiced that out loud before and now that he has and to have them express the same sentiment makes him feel understood, in a way he hasn’t really felt since he was at Samwell.

Conversation ebbs and flows easier after that, Jack talks about his friends and learns about Eric’s family and friends. Tater interjects with funny stories of both of them occasionally and it’s obvious that while Tater and Eric may have just met, that they’ve at least known each other through mutual friends for a while. Jack agrees to a small amount of pie and helps clear the dishes before settling himself on the sofa.

“I very tired. Go to bed now…” Tater says, stretching his arms in what is very clearly a fake yawn and Jack resists the urge to face palm on his behalf. Eric looks like he’s holding back a laugh himself, his head shake and eye roll enough to make Jack grin rather than be annoyed.

“He’s not subtle…” Jack says, jerking his head in the direction Tater has gone.

“He really isn’t. He has a heart of gold though and he cares about you a lot. He’s already given me the shovel talk…In English _and_ in Russian.”

Jack groans, rubbing his face with a hand, but Eric is laughing, no, _giggling_ and Jack looks at him and knows he’s not imagining the touch of heat in Eric’s eyes.

“Did you want more company tonight though?”

Jack sucks in a deep breath, already shaking his head as he lets it out slowly.

“Uh, I… really want to say yes, but, eh, just let me get through the press conference tomorrow and then… Tomorrow night maybe?”

“You don’t waste time do you?”

“Not when I want something,” Jack says, and then he flushes, realizing how that sounds exactly, and it’s not how he meant it at all. Except Eric is looking delighted. “You just asked me right _now_ ,” Jack sputters and it just makes Eric laugh, and he loves the sound of it.

“Well, I don’t waste time either. I’ll see you tomorrow night I guess?”

“Yeah. Dinner?”

“Definitely.”

**CHAPTER SEVEN (B) – 2020 Part 9**

It’s probably only been twenty minutes, but it feels like hours. It’s a limited number of press present, all asking him questions about his sexuality and they have been relentless, and he’s tired of saying the same things slightly differently each time. No one has asked anything that wasn’t already stated plainly in black and white so no matter what he says they will still write whatever the hell they want anyway.

“So Jack, are you seeing someone?”

“Again, I have no comment. I’ve never answered questions about a significant other before and I’m not about to start, sorry.”

He winces, wishing he hadn’t tacked on the apology at the end, because he’s not sorry for trying to keep a part of his life private and protect whoever he’s with. Which okay, is hopefully going to be Eric Bittle, but he can maybe keep that quiet for at least a couple of months. Weeks? Hopefully. He’s so grateful that George calls the presser to a close, saying that any further questions can be directed to the PR team and Jack knows some of them will be pissed. There was no big scoop, he’s too well practiced now dealing with them. Except… starting to date the same week he came out, when he knows they’re going to be giving him additional scrutiny. He doesn’t regret doing it, but he also has to think that maybe in hindsight it wasn’t the smartest idea when he registers at least two cars follow him. _Ugh_.

Glad that his building has the highest possible security it can without having someone physically standing at the door he enters the pin to park his car in the underground garage. He takes the stairs to his floor and steps out only to halt immediately at the body lying near his front door, except… it’s not just anyone, it’s Eric. Lying on the floor, legs up resting on the wall and occasionally bringing one leg back to almost touch the wall opposite, or the floor and Jack tries not imagine the other possibilities that that position and flexibility might be useful.

“Eric… what are you…doing?” He mainly means what he is doing on the floor outside his apartment, because he can tell that Eric is stretching. Just not why it’s on the floor outside his door.

“Waiting for you,” Eric says, and then with a twist of his body he’s standing in one smooth motion and Jack just blinks, because he’s pretty sure bodies aren’t meant to move that way.

“Uh.”

“Jack? Are you okay?”

“Yeah. Fine. Just… sorry. Eh. Distracted.”

“Okay… So, I know you’ve just made a grand gesture but I was thinking maybe we could stay in?”

It’s not even midday and he _knows_ it was dinner they had talked about.

“Tonight you mean?”

“Yeah, and maybe for the first few weeks? I mean, I don’t mind not going out, and I like cooking, and we’ve already watched a movie and had dinner and I just thought that maybe… it could just be us?”

“That sounds… perfect, to be honest.”

A weight he hadn’t even realized had been present feels lifted and he wonders how Eric just seems to know what to say to make his anxiety lessen enough to make him relax.

“I’ve got training, but I’ll see you later… I just didn’t want you to worry about it all afternoon.”

“Eric…” Jack starts, his throat working because it’s a little overwhelming to have someone think about what he might need like that. “…thank you.”

“Oh sugar, I have a feeling that it’ll be more than worth my while…”

Then he’s being kissed, so gently and softly that he doesn’t even have time to respond, to kiss back. He just blinks as Eric pulls away, bottom lip caught between his teeth, lips curved into a smile and Jack can’t take his eyes off them.

“You are good for my ego Jack Zimmermann. I’ll see you later okay?”

“Yeah. Okay.”

Of course later can’t come soon enough. He arranges to do a workout with Tater after lunch and tries not to think about his upcoming _date_. Although Eric had been right, they have already had something like a date already. Three somethings already, except his kid sister had been there for the first two and then his best friend at dinner last night so this is… them alone. No interruptions.

Huh.

He checks his bedside drawers, he hasn’t needed condoms in a long time, but he should probably check the expiration dates. _Fuck_. That’s something he definitely can’t do right now. Going out to the store and buying condoms just a few hours after a presser stating that he’s not got any comment about his personal life and he knows there are people watching his apartment building.

He knows who can help him though, not that they’ll get here by tonight but that’s not a bad thing. He sends a quick message to Shitty and of course he agrees to do it, chirps him for being unable to wait until the weekend when he visits and _shit_. He’d forgotten about that. Shitty, Lardo, Ransom and Holster have all arrange to come and stay for a week; they had originally planned it so he’d have a quiet week between Annelise’s stay and them arriving, except… there’s Eric now. He can’t put off seeing them, it’s been months, Annelise’s 5th birthday in fact, and he wants to see them… But introducing a potential guy he wants to date to his friends after only a week seems pretty high risk. Except Eric lives with Tater, and has already shown that hockey guys don’t scare him in the slightest… He resolves to at least ask.

**CHAPTER SEVEN (C) – 2020 Part 10**

He’s only been back from the gym for five minutes, protein shake in hand when there’s a knock at his door and he figures it has to be Tater, wonders what he’s forgotten as he opens the door, except when he opens it, it is of course Eric. Jack’s sweaty, clothes sticking to him and he feels gross and awkward faced with Eric’s clean put-togetherness.

“Hi…” Eric says, and he’s biting his lip again, looks a little flushed and Jack frowns, looking down at himself then let’s himself rake his eyes over Eric properly, takes in the soft-looking chinos, light blue shirt tucked in with sleeves rolled up, the light flush to his neck and cheeks… _oh_.

“Really?”

“Don’t judge…” Eric snipes playfully and Jack can’t help the smile; he shakes his head, because he’s never been attracted to hot sweaty guys, probably sees too many of them if he’s honest. However, if it were Eric he would feel a little differently. “We didn’t really set a time, so I thought I’d pop by with the things I’d need…”

“Eh, come in I guess… I’d apologize for how I look but…” He shrugs and moves aside as Eric lifts two bags from the floor and he reaches to automatically take them.

“Thanks sweetheart, and definitely no apology necessary. It’s a definite improvement on Sasha,” Eric says with a wink and Jack laughs, puts the bags on the counter top before reaching for his half-finished shake and he has to laugh again at the face Eric pulls. “Those things are disgusting.”

Jack shrugs, because he’s used to them now, just chugs it back without really tasting and he knows Eric is watching him.

“They aren’t so bad.”

“You’re abusing your poor taste buds honey…”

Again Jack is struck by how much he likes the terms of endearment, because he has never really liked nicknames before; he’s pretty sure Eric could call him anything and he’d like it though. He watches as Eric makes himself comfortable putting things away in his fridge and setting things aside and he feels a stab of guilt.

“I feel bad… I really did want to take you out to dinner.”

“Well, lucky for you I like cooking and baking so much. And it’ll keep my hands busy…” Eric says, and the heat in the look he gives Jack is searing and he feels like his breath catch, heart doing a weird triple beat. He’s used to being in control of his body, except right now he’s moving toward Eric without conscious thought and Eric just watches him approach.

“Can I kiss you?” Jack asks, and he’s sure he whispers but it sounds loud in the silence between them.

“ _Oh_ yes…”

He’s got his arms bracketed on either side of Eric’s body, can feel Eric’s hands running up his arms, finger tips digging slightly into the flesh of his shoulders before they’re running down and then Eric is sitting on the counter, his legs wrapping around the backs of Jack’s legs, tugging him closer and he goes, _wants it_ , presses his body up against Eric’s, his eyes skittering over Eric’s face, ensuring that this is okay.

It’s definitely okay, because Eric is kissing him and Jack just relaxes into it, leans into the press of Eric’s body against his and feels the press back. Their lips move slow, exploratory, _thorough_ ; it’s soft and gentle, like they’re in no rush and Jack feels the knots he didn’t even know where there, unknot in his stomach. This isn’t going to be a hurried or rushed coming together, not something they will have to hide or be embarrassed about.

He moves his hands to rest on Eric’s hips, can feel Eric’s arms around his shoulders, the fingers of one hand running through his hair and they’re both pulling each other closer and he feels the little roll of Eric’s hips against his hands and can’t help the low moan as he imagines his whole body doing that against him. He forces himself to pull away, because he said kiss, and he really wants more than that right now, except… he sucks in a lungful of air and licks his lips, likes how swollen they feel.

“Uh, sorry, didn’t mean to get carried away eh…”

“Oh Lord Jack, you do not need to apologize for that. You are… very good at that honey,” Eric says, he sounds pleasingly breathless and Jack preens inwardly.

“I think I could do with some more practice,” he replies, and sure enough, it makes Eric laugh and shit, he’s so far gone already…

“Maybe after dinner hmm?”

“What’s wrong with before?” Jack replies, and he had meant it as a chirp, except now that the words are out he _really_ wants, except it’s only four in the afternoon, and he doesn’t want Eric to think he has to, or that Jack expects it or… anything really. He just doesn’t want to muck this up.

“Where’s your bedroom?”

“I, uh, don’t have… supplies,” Jack says and for some reason Eric’s cheeks are flaming, then he’s reaching into one of the not-quite-unpacked shopping bags and pulling out a box and Jack lets out a bark of laughter. “Okay. We don’t have to use them. No, wait I mean… we can just make out. We have time.”

“I know we have time honey. But I also think of all the times when we’ve _not_ been able to do whatever it is we’re goin’ to do. We’re both professional athletes pretty dedicated to our careers. Obviously we didn’t know each other before, but I am in this, with you, I think we could be pretty amazing together. I’m also realistic, you’ll be on the road a lot, I’ll be away for competitions and PR sponsorship stuff. So, if I kind of want to make the most of every moment we have together while our schedules aren’t absolutely insane…” Eric says, chewing on his lip nervously and Jack can’t help but reach out and cup his face between his hands and kiss him again, runs his thumbs over Eric’s cheekbones and just _looks_.

“You don’t need to convince me, I just didn’t want to… push you.”

“Oh, don’t worry sugar, I ain’t no push over. You’ll know when I’m really mad. And you can thank Sasha for these, he snuck them into the trolley while I wasn’t looking.”

“Oh god…” Jack pulls a face and Eric is just laughing at him and he shuffles on his feet, wonders if he’s even going to be able to look Tater in the eyes again.

“Bedroom?” Eric asks again and Jack flushes, nodding before taking his hand and leading him down the hall to his bedroom, glad he’s naturally neat and doesn’t need to feel embarrassed about the state of his bed.

They stop just beside the bed and Jack rests his head on Eric's shoulder, leaning back to smile at Eric briefly before turning to place a tiny kiss on the column of Eric's neck above his collar before placing another one in the start of a path to his ear. Eric's neck and earlobes seem to be hyper sensitive and he tucks away that piece of information for further investigation. He likes hearing the sharp indrawn breaths and nips at the earlobe before flicking it with his tongue.

Then Eric's fingers are pulling at his shirt hem and Jack raises him arms, hands well above his head, quirking a playful eyebrow in challenge. Eric just cocks his head and steps onto the bed, making him taller than Jack and more than capable of removing Jack’s shirt over his head. He laughs as Eric pulls it off and Jack places his hands on hips, now naked arms wrapping around Eric’s waist. Then Eric pulls his own shirt off and Jack realizes he’s pretty much eye level to Eric’s stomach and he’s suddenly not laughing. Eric isn’t either, his hands resting on Jack’s shoulder.

Heart beating so hard he can feel it in his throat he presses his mouth to the fly of Eric's pants and breathes out, moves a hand to press and stroke, runs a finger down the zipper and looks up to see if Eric's okay with what he's doing. Eric doesn't say anything, just flicks the button open and gives Jack that cocky little head tilt which means the ball is back in Jack’s court. He's eases the zipper down and then peels the pants slowly, just getting them over Eric's well-muscled thighs and he's suddenly face-to-face with hipbones.

He leaves one hand working on the pants, it's easier to push them down now, but one hand goes to Eric's hip, steadying him and he places soft light kisses. He hears Eric let out a quiet moan, and good. He has no plans to ignore any part of Eric's body, wants to learn every swell and dip of muscle, every freckle and scar. He looks up to find Eric watching him intently and he takes note of the creamy colored skin, wonders where he got the tan lines from, pale pink nipples, fine scattering of hair just in the center of his chest. There're a few freckles, and traces a line between them only to have Eric squirm and lean away.

"It tickles!"

Grinning he kneels on the bed, Eric scrambling back, dropping to his knees as well but looking half-ready to flee if Jack intends to tickle him. He doesn't, and they meet somewhere in the middle. It's a bit wobbly, but Eric's moaning into his mouth, he runs his hands down Eric's bare back for the first time. Smooth. He can feel the firmness of muscle under warm skin, the dip along the length of his back where the spine is, and he can feel Eric's chest press against his own with each breath.

"Still ticklish?" He asks, and he means it teasingly, but his voice sounds lower and rougher than normal and he swallows. Eric is pushing against him so firmly he has to push back just to remain upright. He can feel Eric's hands on his back, fingers digging firmly into his ass cheeks and holding him in place as Eric pushes against him again.

" _Jack_ …"

Oh _fuck_. One of Eric's hands is palming his cock, barely squeezed between their bodies, and it feels amazing, but also every sense seems to be in overdrive. Eric's skin feels hot against his, he can still smell whatever scent Eric's got on, but arousal and sweat mix with it now. He can taste, very faintly, a saltiness to Eric's skin as he runs his tongue over his skin and he can hear Eric gasp his name again, breathing shallow. His own breath sounds shuddery to his ears, like he can't breathe in enough to fill his lungs.

"Off. Come on, take them off," Eric demands, fingers tugging at the waist band of Jack’s joggers. He pulls back slightly, unbalancing Eric in the process, there’s no way he can gracefully remove these while kneeling on his bed so he shuffles back and stands. Eric follows, his hands smoothing over Jack’s and he wonders if he’s imagining the tremble or if it’s his own hands that are shaking. Then he’s pretty much naked, only his underwear and Eric’s hands are running over his body and he really doesn’t seem to care at all that Jack still hasn’t showered since his workout.

Eric’s underwear is half-way down already, he can see curly dark blonde pubic hair sticking out the top and then Eric removes them completely. His cock is flushed pick, the head a glossy red and Jack doesn’t even think, just drops to his knees, hands pulling Eric toward him. He leans forward and nuzzles his nose against it, licks up the length and presses his lips to the head, giving it a little playful kiss. It makes Eric laugh, but it’s different, choked with arousal and a gasp for air and Jack didn’t think he’d hear something he liked more than Eric laughing, but there it is…

“Beautiful…” Jack murmurs under his breath and he stands, hooks his thumbs in the band of his own underwear and takes them off, flings them in the general direction of his washing basket. Eric shifts back on the bed, lying full length, hand reaching out to reach for Jack. He doesn't need any more encouragement, slides his body along the length of Eric's naked one and he hums in appreciation. There is slow undulating pressure between them, Eric’s eyes are closed, but Jack likes visuals, shifts his head so he can see down the length of their bodies, between them. It's shadowy, but he can see the distinct outline of two cocks moving together.

“You okay?”

“ _So_ okay sugar…”

“Good.”

They kiss slowly, it feels languid, his entire body feeling heavy and syrupy. This is still so new, and he wants to not rush through the learning of anything. He moves his fingers over Eric’s back, palms an ass cheek and grinds their erections together. Eric is pushing against him like he wants to somehow climb inside Jack’s skin, bodies and erections pressed against each other. Eric pulls back slightly and grins at him.

"Hi. Mmm. You're right, that practice you said you needed… so important…” Eric tells him, and he's gratifyingly breathy, cheeks pink with heat and his chest has kind of gone a bit blotchy. He realizes it's probably from Eric rubbing against his chest hair and he runs the pads of fingers over the redness, surprised when Eric arches and hums. Oh. _Well then_. He doesn’t ever remember feeling this happy in bed before, not like this, where there’s laughter and joking and everything feels _right_.

"Are _you_ okay?"

The question reminds him to breathe and he inhales deeply and nods, hand reaching up to cup Eric's face and pull him back into a kiss. Eric's more fluid in his movements than him, which shouldn't come as a surprise, but when he feels the slide of naked thigh between his and he shifts to allow Eric more room, his skin prickly as he feels Eric’s fingers skitter across his skin. They're both moving their hips to keep up the friction, but it's not enough and now he really wants to touch. He trusts Eric to say something, and he moves, rolling onto his back, and Eric follows, straddles his thighs and yeah, this is better. He runs his hands over Eric’s thighs, feels the light scratching of super fine hair.

He likes this position, likes being able to see all of Eric; lips pink and swollen, eyes hazy but watching him back intently, cheeks flushed, chest blotchy red in places, smooth skin, and delicate looking ink on his inner biceps. He wraps a hand around Eric’s erection, watches Eric’s eyes shutter closed, mouth open to suck in a gasp, hips flexing forward and he can see the movement of muscle beneath skin and he wants to taste him all over. He doesn’t know if it’s because it’s been a while, but Eric’s cock feels long in his hand and he grips, hopefully firm enough to feel good, and starts jerking Eric off.

"Oh _god_." Eric sounds broken and he feels a swell of confidence, because it’s been a while and he’s always tried to ensure his partner got as much pleasure as him, if not more. "Both. Grip both of us. _Please_." For a split second he doesn't get what Eric means, then he swallows, widens his grip and shuffles slightly, Eric moves with him, his thighs bunching as he resettles on Jack, leaning forward a little to help line their cocks up and then he’s gripping both of their cocks in his fist.

"Good?"

"Yesss…"

He moves his wrist slightly, makes it more comfortable. He has big hands, able to touch the tip of his finger to his thumb around both of them. It's still a tight heat around his cock, the slick feel of Eric's cock against it, and he doesn't think it needs to be any tighter. Not with the way Eric is moving against him, body bowed, lips on his shoulder half-sucking, half-biting and he starts to jerk them off.

The combined heat of their cocks pressed so closely together, surrounded by his hand, which feels too hot, rough calluses, there's none of the smooth glide he usually has when he does this alone. He wonders if stopping and asking Eric to reach for the lube would be a good idea but decides to forgo. He's not going to last long, next time they can use lube. They're both leaking a little, which he hopes means Eric is close, because he wants to see Eric come, see his cock spurt over their stomachs and his hand.

Eric's fingers are curled in his hair, tugging, and he's pretty sure Eric is leaving a mark on his shoulder. He doesn't care about that, he doesn't mark easily, but there's some part of him that kind of likes the idea. His hand feels almost too tight around them now, moving faster, because he needs it, and Eric seems equally eager, his hips rolling forward every time he strokes down.

"God yes, don't stop… Jack. _Please_."

Eric sounds _wrecked_ and Jack knows his own breathing is jagged, can feel his chest tight, Eric’s name a moan on his lips. Okay then. He lets his hand move faster, and yeah, he wants to try everything with Eric. For now he stops staring at their cocks for a brief second, presses up and licks up Eric's neck, nips his earlobe and then places some more kisses back down the wet trail. Eric bucks toward him, moaning, fist curling into his hair, pulling a bit too tight.

He comes first, the sudden sensation of Eric’s teeth grazing over his left nipple being the switch that triggers it and it rolls through him in waves and he groans his release, eyes squeezed tight and trying to ignore the oversensitive feeling of his cock as he continues to jerk Eric off. Eric is moving against him, small frantic movements and he increases the speed of his hand even more, only just remembering in time that he wants to see Eric come and opening his eyes. He can't really see between them anymore, Eric is pushed against him so tightly, but he feels the moment, the stillness followed by a tiny shudder and then the long drawn out moan. He loosens his hand slightly, still moving, but gentler, and he feels Eric shudder against him again.

"Mmm, wow…" Eric mumbles, before leaning away slightly to look between their bodies, come spread over their stomachs and dripping over his hand. Jack releases their cocks slowly, and brings his hand up to his mouth, licks, likes the heat curling in his stomach as Eric watches him with post-orgasm eyes, drowsy.

“Totally didn’t need the condoms,” Jack comments and Eric giggles and Jack feels himself fall a little more, especially when Eric just moves to lie beside him and kiss him.

“There’s still after dinner,” Eric says, then groans, flexes and stretches out his legs. “Do you think I can count this as cardio, or a leg day?”

“You can try. Don’t think your coach would accept it. And now I _really_ need a shower.”

“Mmm… that sounds good. Can I join you?”

“Of course,” Jack says, and he shares a locker room with more than a dozen guys on a regular basis, however they never get into his personal space like Eric, and showering together has always seemed like an intimate act of well-established couples. He's wide awake and he watches in bemusement as Eric plays with his chest hair; pulling the hair straight before letting it go and watching it curl and kink back to normal in the stream of water. He's obviously fascinated, but Jack can tell by the slow blinking that he's struggling to stay awake, the warm shower acting as a further soporific. Eric is definitely a napper after sex, and apparently he likes running his fingers through chest hair as a form of additional relaxation. There is no part of him that isn't a hundred percent okay with this.

"I'm going to fall asleep."

“Come on then, let’s nap…”

Afterwards they work together in the kitchen, and he’s no slouch when it comes to preparing meals, but Eric is amazing. The way he moves around the kitchen is graceful, like he’s on the ice and Jack feels a sense of contentment wash over him, remembers admiring his parent’s own behavior in the kitchen; feels like he could have that with Eric. _Wants_ that. Dinner is ready in under thirty minutes, a perfectly balanced meal of coconut rice with seared chicken thighs and green beans. He likes that he will feel zero guilt after eating it, knows Eric likely has an equally strict eating plan despite all the baking. They sit at the corner of the table to eat, knees touching and they keep reaching out to touch each other.

“So, uh, some of my friends from college are coming to stay this weekend. They can be really full on and over the top. You don’t have to meet them, but I… eh. I’d like for you to meet them, if you wanted to.”

“Is this… Sasha has mentioned some of your friends and I’m not sure if it’s the language. He insists it isn’t, but he also likes poking fun so…”

“Ah, well, he was probably referring to Shitty, Lardo, Ransom and Holster.”

“Okay, so I wasn’t mishearing him. Hockey nicknames I hope, because I know parents can be cruel and all…”

Jack laughs, shakes his head.

“Shitty Knight, he uh, he _really_ hates his actual name. It’s Byron, but he will not hold back on covering your mouth if he thinks you’re going to use it. He’s with Lardo, Larissa. She was the unfortunate soul who had to manage us in college. Then Justin Oluransi and Adam Birkholtz. The four of them and Tater are pretty much my closest friends, and you’ve already got Tater’s seal of approval.”

“I’d love to meet them.”

After dinner they lie together on the sofa and watch a movie before going to bed, exchanging blow jobs before curling up and going to sleep. He doesn’t expect to sleep so well, not with someone in his bed, but he only wakes once. His alarm in the morning quickly slapped off. He didn’t have a late night and he didn’t drink anything, but he has Eric’s warm body pressed against him and that’s reason enough to press snooze and enjoy the warm contentment he’s feeling for a few more minutes.

The days speed toward the weekend and Jack’s feeling a little nervous about Eric meeting his friends. At least he knows it can’t be as bad as Eric meeting his mom through Zoom. He’d been chatting with Annelise on Wednesday morning, she’d run off to get something to show him. His mom popped in to the screen to chat and Jack had seen Eric come up behind him in the little window showing himself. Eric, naked except for his underwear and with stubble burn and a couple of hickeys on his lower stomach.

Jack had frozen, deer-in-headlights as his mother’s perfectly shaped eyebrows went higher and higher. Annelise’s delighted greeting of _“Hi Mr Eric!”_ had Eric frozen, and despite flushing from embarrassment he was the perfect Southern gentleman, somehow charming his mother while sitting there wearing next to nothing and talked about everything and nothing, along with answering Annelise’s questions. A pointed look had him knowing he should expect her call later that day. It had gone well, despite Jack fretting over it. Of course his mother knows all about Eric, Annelise being a fount of information, but she’s happy for him and looks like she’s close to tears when he admits to feeling really good about the whole thing.

Saturday arrives and he’s changed all the sheets on the beds, cleaned and hoovered. Eric has done baking, using both his oven and Tater’s, while Tater had gone to the supermarket to apparently buy one of everything in the store. He’d think they were going overboard, except he remembers how much food they can pack away. His buzzer sounds and he goes to press the release button that lets them into the building, gives Eric a kiss and a comforting squeeze as he passes him and gets his butt swatted in response which just makes him laugh. He leaves his apartment door open, knows he will hear them before he sees them and sure enough it sounds like a herd of bison approaching.

“Jacky-Jack! We’re here! The party can start!”

Jack looks at Eric and smiles nervously, but Eric is already silently laughing.

“Well aren’t you the cutest fucking thing I ever saw!” Shitty exclaims and Jack groans, but of course Eric is laughing and telling Shitty he’s heard a lot about him; then Ransom and Holster push past with Lardo riding piggy-back on Holster and Jack looks across at Eric again, hopes he doesn’t see horror or fear, but he’s being hugged by Shitty before giving Shitty pie, and he looks like he’s holding his own. He gets wrestled by Ransom and Holster, a warm hug from Lardo and his cheeks feel sore from smiling constantly. Tater arrives and the noise ratchets up a little, Ransom and Holster greeting his as effusively as they did Jack.

His phone rings amidst it all and it’s Annelise on FaceTime. His mom knows he has everyone visiting and isn’t likely to do calls around bedtime or early morning. 

“Hey Little Cinnamon, how are you?”

“I’m good. Are you having a sleepover with your friends? Mom said you were.”

“Yeah, I guess I am. You want to say hi?” Jack asks, holding back his laugh at the suspicious tone of her voice. He hold his phone back and steps so she can see him with his friends.

“Oh my lord, he calls her Little Cinnamon…” Eric says quietly behind him and Jack feels his cheeks heat a little.

“I know. It’s disgustingly cute,” Lardo says, reaching out to fist bump him.

“He’s Old Spice!” Shitty yells out and Jack rolls his eyes at Eric’s delighted laugh.

It’s noise and laughter and warmth and he wouldn’t change any of it for anything.

**CHAPTER NINE – Epilogue**

He has training camp and then pre-season games and Tater hasn’t said anything to the team about him and Eric dating. Everyone knows Eric though, he’s not only an Olympic athlete that is living with Tater, but he’s also the supplier of pie and jam, and invitations are always extended to him as well. Eric has his own schedule, he works out just as much as Jack, stretches and skates and looks at Jack’s schedule and pencils himself in. He doesn’t know how he got this lucky to have someone this _right_ want to be with him.

The press have finally gotten tired of asking about his relationship status in every presser he does; although it’s been amusing watching some of his teammates jump on the questions, declare that they’re single and ready to mingle, or have recently broken up and need someone to kiss them better, or engagements…

After ten weeks he has a little panic attack, because everything seems to be going _too_ well. Eric just seems _too perfect_ for him, and he deserves someone better than Jack. Someone who will loudly proclaim his love of Eric to the world. He calls his mom, tries to calm his breathing as he listens to her talk him down. How maybe Eric thinks he’s just as perfect? And Eric isn’t perfect, can’t be, and Jack shouldn’t expect him to be. How they’ve both worked so hard in every other aspect in their lives, that maybe it was time something was just easy for once?

It’s the final statement that makes him realize that he’s allowed to have things even when he doesn’t have to work hard at them to be the best or for it to come easily. If his relationship with Eric is going to be the one effortless thing in his life that just seems to work first time then he’s going to stop questioning it.

Family skate day in October has him at the rink with his parents and Annelise, all his teammates and their families, Eric is there, and Jack can’t keep his eyes off him

“You should ask him out,” Guy says, his head jerking towards Eric, where he is standing talking to some of the other players before skating off to show the older kids some more complicated jumps. “You know we don’t care right? Wait, he’s not with Tater is he?”

“No, he’s not with Tater. He’s uh… We’re… uh… we’ve been dating for over three months. Nearly four now I guess?”

“Are you shitting me?” Guy asks, doing a triple take between him and Eric.

Jack shakes his head, shrugging helplessly.

“You’re a dark horse Zimboni, good job,” and Guy gives him what Jack thinks is his first genuine smile that isn’t related to a hockey win.

With that Jack nods, decided, pushes off toward Eric and stops to watch before Eric notices him. They’ve developed a silent form of communication already and Eric is skating toward him effortlessly and Jack smiles.

“I want to kiss you. Right here, now, in front of all these people…”

“Okay… is it something you’re feeling or something you’re doin’?” Eric laughs, because they tease each other all the time, except Jack isn’t teasing this time.

“I love you.”

“Oh…I love you too.”

He cups Eric’s face in his hands and kisses him, not as deeply or as long as he would like, but it’s enough. Tater is wolf whistling across the ice, Jack’s sure he sees Guy and Marty exchanging money, and his parents are smiling indulgently but also smirking and he knows he’s never going to live it down.

“I best man,” Tater says, skating over and sweeping them both into a massive bear hug.

“Yeah, you’re great. Thanks…”

“No. I mean at wedding. I be best man” Tater says, the grin wide and Jack laughs.

_/ 

When they marry three years later Tater is Eric’s best man and Shitty is Jack’s.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don’t know if it’s this pairing or just this fic but explicit sex didn’t flow … *confused blinking* (Uh, there’s obviously still plenty of explicit stuff, it just didn’t come easy. *cough* Would you believe that was an unintentional pun…)
> 
> The original 1,000 word ficlet that I wrote will be added as an additional part in a 'series' even though it's not, I just want it linked to this fic.


End file.
